Truce
by Kari Anna
Summary: Good. Evil. Sometimes the burden is too heavy to carry alone. Vashsunglasses has graciously agreed to alternate chapters with me so this story is now a WORK IN PROGRESS. NOW RATED PG, or K
1. Chap 1 Author: Kari Anna

Sorry peeps. Still haven't seen Season Four. So if Lois seems off in this ficlet, it's because I don't "know" her yet. Not the Lois from _Smallville_ anyway. I have seen the Superman movies though, and I kind of based her on a mix of Lois in the movies and the general idea I've gotten of how Lois is on Smallville.

DISCLAIMER: Aww, yuppie lawyers are so cute when they're stupid.

**Truce**

Clark stared out the window nearest his cubicle at the _Daily Planet_. He could feel another breakdown coming on.

Three hundred people had died in a bombing the previous night, not to mention the other deaths he hadn't been able to prevent over the last eight or ten months. Myriads, and it seemed that every year it seemed that crime was harder to keep up with. Maybe it was mounting stress from the constant battles. Either way, it was time for a trip to Smallville.

"Where are you going, Smallville?" Lois demanded as Clark started Perry's office.

"I need to ask Perry about a vacation."

Lois snorted. "_Good._ The way you've been moping around lately, you could use one."

Clark ducked into Perry's office and quietly asked for a respite. The editor of the _Planet_ was quick to give an affirmative. He knew who Superman was, had never forgotten Clark's acts of inhuman abilities and inherent kindness so many years ago in Smallville. And he knew sometimes being everyone's hero was too much.

As soon as Clark left the office, Perry made one of many calls to a certain business firm that had nothing to do with business or news. As soon as the phone was picked up, he said, "He's leaving again."

* * *

Lex paused near his secretary's desk. "If anyone needs to contact me, refer them to a department head or Mr. Ross. Don't disturb me. My cell phone number is off limits as of now until I return, unless it's an Apocalyptic emergency. I'll be gone at least a week. If it's going to be longer than that, I'll let you know." 

And with that, he left Lexcorp.

* * *

Lex found Clark right where he knew he would. The same place he had found a heartbroken young hero the first time since the rift in their friendship, after Clark had become Superman. That first saving emotional support session had happened... _God. Was it really seventeen years ago?_

**Flashback**

Right next to the entry to Smallville Cemetary was where Lex had found him, standing against a monument and crying. Clark had heard him coming and asked quietly, "Who is it?"

"Me," Lex had replied just as quietly, knowing his voice would identify him.

"How many more people are going to die, no matter what I do?"

**End Flashback**

Lex snapped out of the reverie, and walked up behind his best friend. A hand on Clark's shoulder and the man turned around. The business tycoon found himself enveloped in a grateful hug. "Thanks for coming, Lex."

"Always. You know that."

There was an unspoken truce between them that had formed during that first breakdown of Clark's. Both set aside the mantles of hero and villain, the balance of good and evil, until they were ready to resume the roles Fate had given them. Until they were ready to go back to their lives, they were just two old friends.


	2. Chap 2 Author: Vashsunglasses

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today... /hears whispering/ What? Oh, wrong speech again?

Okay, guys. This fic _will_ be continuing a lil longer. **Vashsunglasses** wrote this chapter, and the two of us will be alternating. I'll put the name of the author of the chapter in the chapter scroll bar, so know that I'll be forwarding _all_ reviews to Vash. So BE NICE to him, kids! And behave, keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times as we pick up where **Vashsunglasses** continued.

**CHAPTER TWO**

Once again Lex had failed to defeat Superman in battle. Usually when this happened, (as it invariably did) Lex would immediately begin to plan for the next battle. Unfortunately, this time wasn't like all the other times. This time he had let things get too personal.

It had started out innocently enough. He had built the usual super-weapon. He had terrorized the usual citizens. He had mocked the usual heroes. He had withstood all the insults heaped upon him by his enemies. It was almost sexual in nature, the feeling that villainy gave him. He was powerful. He was invincible. Then he tripped and fell face first in the mud.

Superman's derisive laughter burned his heart to a cinder in an instant, more deadly than any beam from the Man of Steel's eyes could ever hope to be.

It shouldn't have hurt. After all, they were arch-enemies! Such things were expected and even appreciated. And yet, he found that he couldn't bear to hear that laughter any longer. So he did the one thing that he had never thought himself capable of. He ran.

And now here he was, cowering in the basement of his own building, the sound of HIS laughter still ringing in his ears. He felt terrible, and no matter how much he berated himself for his actions, he still couldn't drive up the nerve to go see how things had turned out.

Then he felt a pair of warm, strong arms wrap around him from behind and all his pain and fear seemed to melt away. "I'm sorry, Lex." Superman, no Clark, said suddenly, dispelling the silence with his rich tenor. "I shouldn't have laughed at you like that, it wasn't right of me."

Lex frowned in consternation and turned to face his friend, "Don't apologize Clark, I deserved all of it. Don't forget, I'm the one who keeps trying to take over the world."

Clark groaned and rolled his eyes, "I wish I _could_ forget. Do you have any idea how annoying your half-hearted attempts to take over the world are? Here I am, trying to defend the world from intergalactic evil and I keep getting interrupted by you and your weird head games."

Lex tried to pull away from Clark but his arms wouldn't budge, "If that is the way you feel, why don't you just delegate my 'weird head games' to one of your Justice Flunkies? That way you don't have to be 'annoyed' by my petty villainy."

Clark's eyes lit with an almost jealous fury, "I don't let them fight you because I don't trust them not to hurt you! You may be annoying, but you are my Arch Nemesis and that's all there is to it."

"They have been giving you a hard time about this haven't they?" Lex asked coldly. "Don't worry, Clark. I wouldn't give the likes of them the time of day. No, I'm afraid you and I are stuck with each other." He could feel Clark's arms relaxing around him as he spoke until he was enclosed by the lightest of holds. Lex pushed out of the hold and stood up. "I'd better go assess all the damage you've done to my building. I'll see you later."

And as he walked up the stairs to the Ground Floor he was once again every inch a Luthor.


	3. Chap 3 Author: Kari Anna

DISCLAIMER: It's too dang late at night to be disclaiming anything.

WARNING: Due to a scant few minor swear words, this story is now rated PG or K+.

**CHAPTER THREE**

Down in the crowd, shoved and pressed and _squished_ until he felt like even _his_ impervious bones might give under the pressure, it was easy for Clark to feel the awe, the hushed tension. Because no matter _how_ much the tide of greedy journalists writhed and pressed, how much they _shouted_ their questions, they went _dead silent_ as soon as Lex Luthor opened his mouth.

That was just the kind of person Lex was, the kind of presence he had.

Normally it would irritate him. At the moment, he found it comforting. He was tired. He'd been so busy lately, and though he didn't need as much sleep as the average person, he did need _some._ The last time he'd slept had been four days ago, for a measly six hours, and even for him it was damn hard to deal with. His muscles were tired and sore with tension from all the recent fights, and to top it all off he had an urge to duct tape Lois's mouth shut. Even he couldn't put up with her amiably _all_ the time.

Clark tried to focus on what Lex was saying, rather than just hearing his voice.

"...-ger we are about to undergo will benefit nearly every resident of Metropolis and the outlying towns in some manner. In addition, twenty percent of all profits resulting from this will go directly to ch..."

Clark lost his mental grasp on what Lex was saying again, as his mind attempted a forced shut-down. He almost fell asleep on his feet, eyes wide open.

Lois was asking him something again, in that I-demand-an-answer tone of hers, but Clark's brain wasn't registering the words. After a few failed attempts, she muttered something and went back to taking notes.

As soon as the press conference was over, Clark made his way, sleepy and barely able to think straight, to Lex's office. The secretary knew him, had seen him before in the-- _How many years has she worked here?_ Clark couldn't remember.

She let him in and Clark managed to get past her, open the door and slip into Lex's office, close the door behind him. Then he collapsed into the couch near the door and he was out.

* * *

When Clark woke up, a concerned pair of blue-grey eyes were watching him from across the room. Lex was seated behind his desk, and he didn't bother to close his laptop like he had when they'd lived in Smallville. Besides, they both knew their unspoken truce was in effect right now.

As Clark sat up, he registered the fact that there was a blanket over him, and there hadn't been when he'd fallen asleep. He didn't need one, not even in his Fortress in the Arctic, but the thought of it brought a lazy, groggy smile to his lips anyway. Where had Lex gotten a blanket in this stiff and stuffy business atmosphere?

"They've been overworking you."

There was no hostility in Lex's tone, no anger, but Clark knew it was there anyway.

"Lex I'm--"

"Just because you're _more_ than human doesn't mean they can exploit you like this. It's wrong."

Lex never interrupted him unless he was well and truly angry, and it belied his calm and reasonable tone. In fact, now that his brain was starting to wake up more, Clark realized Lex's tone was _too_ calm. The very same one he used when he was murderously furious and trying to hide it, or keep it in check.

"I'm all right, Lex!" Clark said quickly, worried about what Lex might do to punish the League. "Just a little fatigued, that's all."

Lex stared at him in utter disbelief. "A _little?_ You were _swaying_ on your _feet_ out there, Clark! I thought you were going to fall over! And obviously you were too tired to think properly, or you would have _answered_ when Lois asked you if you wanted to go home. Clark, you're _more_ than a little tired."

The journalist felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment and fought the urge to turn his gaze to his feet, as he would have done when he was a teenager.

Lex sighed and ran a hand over his head, as if through invisible hair. "You _have_ to stand up for yourself more. Stop letting them run you ragged. Even _you_ can't withstand a constant state of fatigue forever."

He heard the worry in the older man's voice, and that was enough to have him at Lex's side faster than the eye can blink, hugging him. "I'm not going to abandon you like everyone else, Lex. Not even for the grave."

Lex sighed. "Doesn't stop me from worrying."

Clark tightened his hold a little. "Does it feel like I'm fading?"

When the reply came, it was from a small, quiet voice. "No." A moment's hesitation and then, "But it didn't feel like Pamela was either."

The woman who'd been a surrogate mother to Lex when his own was dying. The one Clark had met briefly in Smallville before she had died.

Clark didn't have anything to say to that. Instead, he tightened his grip on Lex until it was _just_ short of crossing the threshold into what would be painful for him. It seemed to ground them both a little, and Clark let go after a minute or two.

"I'll try not to let it get that bad anymore," Clark offered. It wasn't the promise Lex wanted, but it was all he could give. His life wasn't his own; it belonged to the world, in that he _had_ to keep saving it, saving them, until he died or there was nothing left to save.

He wondered, briefly, if that was why Lex kept trying to _end_ the world. _To free us from destiny?_

Clark smiled, a careless expression reminiscent of their days in Smallville, when his secret had been a smaller issue than it was now, and he'd had only the fate of his hometown and not entire galaxies on his shoulders.

Although Lex was reluctant to accept less than a promise of better self-care from his friend, he couldn't help but smile back, and he nodded.

Clark felt better, and he had a report to write up.

TBC...


End file.
